Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Global economy must move past GDP to avoid planetary disaster, warns UN chief

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 08:00:54 +0000

Exclusive: António Guterres says world’s accounting systems should place true value on the environment

Economic growth is still heating the planet. Is there any way out?

The global economy must be radically transformed to stop it rewarding pollution and waste, UN secretary general António Guterres has warned.

Forests are changing fast and scientists are deeply concerned

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 07:17:56 +0000

Forests around the world are quietly transforming, and not for the better. A massive global analysis of more than 31,000 tree species reveals that forests are becoming more uniform, increasingly dominated by fast-growing “sprinter” trees, while slow-growing, long-lived species are disappearing. These slower species act as the backbone of forest ecosystems, storing carbon, stabilizing environments, and supporting rich webs of life—especially in tropical regions where biodiversity is highest.

Trump’s EPA reapproves contentious weedkiller dicamba for some GM crops

admin — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 16:42:30 +0000

Environmental groups said dicamba drift has damaged vegetable farms, trees and other critical plants

The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday reapproved the weedkiller dicamba for use on genetically modified soybeans and cotton, a pesticide that has raised widespread concern over its tendency to drift and destroy nearby crops.

The agency said dicamba was critical for farmers who would otherwise have their crops threatened by fast growing weeds. To ensure the pesticide is used safely, the agency said it imposed strong protections and limits on its use.

Bank chairs backtracking on climate commitments could face shareholder revolts

admin — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 14:00:37 +0000

Exclusive: Campaign group calls on institutional shareholders to vote against re-election of bosses overseeing net zero row-back

Bank chairs who water down their lenders’ climate commitments this year could face embarrassing shareholder revolts as campaigners try to hold bosses to account for environmental backtracking.

ShareAction, a campaign group for responsible investment, will be issuing detailed reports to pension funds and asset managers in the coming weeks, outlining whether 34 of the world’s largest lenders are sticking to their climate goals.

These US states want polluters to pay for the rising insurance costs of climate disasters

admin — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 14:00:34 +0000

Proposals by California, Hawaii and New York lawmakers aim to hold fossil fuel industry accountable for soaring rates

As climate disasters drive up the price of home insurance, three US states are considering empowering their state prosecutors to sue major polluters for their role in those rising costs.

Office buzz: UK employers turn to beehives to boost workplace wellbeing

admin — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:34:33 +0000

Providers report rise in demand as companies seek mental health benefits and increased sense of community

In a growing number of workplaces, the soundtrack of the lunch break is no longer the rustle of sandwiches at a desk, but the quiet hum of bees – housed just outside the office window.

In your face: Close-up Photographer of the Year Awards 2026 – in pictures

admin — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 09:00:26 +0000

Animals, insects, flora and fauna – the world photographed in close-up in the annual competition dedicated to micro and macro photography. Cupoty 7 was won by underwater photographer Ross Gudgeon, triumphing over 12,000 entries from 63 countries

Water bosses in England exploiting bonus loophole face crackdown

admin — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 07:00:24 +0000

Exclusive: Ministers to act after last year’s legislation ‘outwitted’ by failing firms paying millions to executives

The government is to close loopholes which allow bosses of failing water companies to continue to receive large bonuses despite a ban passed last year, it can be revealed.

Bosses of companies that illegally dumped sewage into England’s rivers and seas and presided over water shortages which left thousands of people in misery have still been paid millions in bonuses despite the ban.

Modern Milkman to collect unwanted electronics and toys with deliveries

admin — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 07:00:24 +0000

Grocery delivery firm will begin picking up broken tech across the UK and charging consumers to recycle items

A UK dairy delivery business is to begin collecting unwanted or broken toys, mobile phones and laptops while dropping off milk, orange juice and butter in its latest attempt to expand.

The Modern Milkman was founded by entrepreneur Simon Mellin in Burnley, north-west England, in 2019 and delivers groceries to more than 100,000 households across the UK.

Pumas are back in Patagonia and Penguins are paying the price

admin — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 05:05:44 +0000

Pumas returning to Patagonia have begun hunting mainland penguins that evolved without land predators. Scientists estimate that more than 7,000 adult penguins were killed in just four years, many of them left uneaten. While the losses are dramatic, models show that pumas alone are unlikely to wipe out the colony. Greater dangers come from poor breeding and low survival among young penguins.